Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

PROTESTS

‘Out of our neighbourhood!’: Barcelona residents spray water on tourists

Thousands of protesters marched Saturday in Barcelona to denounce mass tourism and its effect on Spain's most visited city, with some angry locals even spraying water on tourists in nearby restaurants.

Published: 7 July 2024 08:28 CEST
Updated: 8 July 2024 10:21 CEST
'Out of our neighbourhood!': Barcelona residents spray water on tourists
Tourists were targeted with water guns by angry Barcelona locals on Saturday. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)

Under the slogan “Enough! Let’s put limits on tourism”, some 2,800 people — according to police — marched along a waterfront district of Barcelona to demand a new economic model that would reduce the millions of tourists that visit every year.

“I have nothing against tourism, but here in Barcelona we are suffering from an excess of tourism that has made our city unliveable,” said Jordi Guiu, a 70-year-old sociologist.

With banners saying “Reduce tourism now!”, the protesters chanted slogans such as “Tourists out of our neighbourhood”, stopping in front of hotels to the surprise of visitors.

A video of the demo shared by several media outlets shows a small number of protesters spraying tourists with water pistols and directing angry chants their way, forcing some to leave the bars and restaurants they were sat at on Barcelona’s famous Ramblas boulevard.

Protesters also ‘cordoned off’ several restaurants where holidaymakers were with striped crime scene tape.  

Barcelona’s rising cost of housing, up 68 percent in the past decade according to local authorities, is one of the main issues for the movement, along with the effects of tourism on local commerce and working conditions in the city of 1.6 million inhabitants.

OPINION: Spaniards should blame landlords, not tourists

“Local shops are closing to make way for stores that do not serve the needs of neighbourhoods. People cannot afford their rents,” said Isa Miralles, a 35-year-old musician who lives in the Barceloneta district.

The northeastern coastal city, with internationally famous sites such as La Sagrada Familia, received more than 12 million tourists last year, according to local authorities.

To combat the “negative effects of mass tourism”, the city council run by the Socialist Jaume Collboni announced 10 days ago that it was banning tourist apartment rentals — there are now more than 10,000 — by 2028 so that they can be put back on the local housing market.

The announcement could lead to a legal battle and is opposed by an association of tourist apartments who say it will just feed the black market.

The Barcelona protests come after similar demonstrations in tourist hotspots such as Málaga, Palma de Mallorca and the Canary Islands.

READ ALSO: 

The second most visited country after France, Spain received 85 million foreign visitors in 2023, an increase of 18.7 percent from the previous year, according to the National Statistics Institute.

The most visited region was Catalonia, whose capital is Barcelona, with 18 million, followed by the Balearic Islands (14.4 million) and the Canary Islands (13.9 million).

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

ANDALUSIA

Eight cooler places to escape the summer heat in Spain’s Andalusia

Andalusia is one of Spain's hottest regions with July and August temperatures regularly hitting 40C or more, particularly in inland areas. If you're having an Andalusian summer, here are the places where it doesn't get as hot, one for each province.

Published: 25 July 2024 16:33 CEST
Eight cooler places to escape the summer heat in Spain's Andalusia

Segura de la Sierra, Jaén

Jaén is one of the toastiest provinces in Andalusia come summer, but thankfully there are a couple of places to get away from the worst of it. Some of the best places to head are surrounded by nature, particularly around natural parks. One of the coolest is Segura de la Sierra, located just north of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park. The average temperature here is still 35C in August, but there should be plenty of shady spots to cool down. 

Photo: Marcial Salcedo/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
 

Cabra, Córdoba

The province of Córdoba not only the experiences some of the highest temperatures in Andalusia during summer, but also in the whole of Spain. Córdoba always features on national weather forecasts, with the mercury regularly exceeding 40C and often up to 45C. Located in the Guadalquivir River Basin, inland, away from the coast, means it doesn’t benefit from any cool sea breezes. The trick is to head to spots with a higher altitude such as Cabra, close to the Natural Park of the Sierras Subbéticas. 

Photo: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

READ ALSO – Escape the heat: Eight places in Spain where it doesn’t get too hot in summer

Trevélez, Granada

The village of Trevélez is the highest village not only in Andalusia, but also in the whole of Spain – it’s altitude ensuring that it’s much cooler than the rest of the area. Located in the Alpujarras, close to the Sierra Nevada mountain range, it lies at 1,400 metres above sea level. The average temperatures in July and August is 29C and 28C respectively. It also boasts cool mountain streams and lower breezy night time temperatures too. 

Photo: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Tolox, Málaga

Located along the coast, Málaga is already one of the coolest provinces in the region, thanks to cool air coming in from the Mediterranean, but it can still feel roasting during the height of August. If you’re looking for cooler temperatures inland, then you can’t beat the town of Tolox, north of Marbella, in the mountains close to National Park of Sierra de las Nieves. Heat levels here hover around 29C in August. 

Photo: Jacqueline Macou/Pixabay
 

Sierra de Grazalema, Cádiz

Cádiz, like Málaga, also benefits from having a coastline, meaning there are several places to escape near the beaches. Again, if you’re looking somewhere inland, it’s best to head into nature, where the trees and plants keep things a little cooler. The Sierra de Grazalema is a large natural park located west of Ronda, where you won’t suffer as much as other places in the province. Its famous white villages in the mountains are other spots to keep away from the heat. 

(Photo by Jorge Guerrero / AFP)

Cazorla, Jaén

Like Segura de la Sierra, also in Jaén, Cazorla is located near the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park. The Sierra de Castril Natural Park is also within striking distance. It’s location means lots of shady trees, higher altitudes, as well as cooling streams and waterfalls. In fact, it’s very near here where you can find the source of the River Guadalquivir, which runs all the way to and through the city of Seville. 

Photo: Christopher Eden/Unsplash

Aracena, Huelva

Huelva also benefits from a cooler coastline, but also has a few places inland in which to hide out from the scorching summer heat. One of them is the municipality of Aracena, in the westernmost area of ​​Sierra Morena. It has mild summer temperatures averaging 26C, thanks to its location surround by oak and chestnut forests. Cave systems here, as well as waterfalls mean there are extra places that will provide a respite from the sun too. 

Photo: Pablo Rodríguez/Pexels

Cazalla de la Sierra, Seville

Similar to Córdoba, the province of Seville is known for having almost insufferable summer heat, also reaching up to 40C or more. While many try to escape the capital for the more refreshing spots on the coast, another option could be to head up into the mountains to keep cool. Cazalla de la Sierra is a small village situated in the Sierra Morena mountain range, offering lots of shady hiking routes close to water sources, from streams to waterfalls. 

Photo: Rafa Rivero/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

.

SHOW COMMENTS